The alley reeked of smoke and blood. Aria pressed her back to the damp wall, fighting the tremor in her hands. She never should have come here, but Ethan wasn't answering his phone and the whispers about the gambling den led her straight into the lion's den.
Boots crunched against gravel. A man groaned, then silence. She held her breath, praying the shadows would hide her.
The door at the end of the alley swung open. Light spilled out, and with it came two men. One dragged a body by the collar, tossing it like trash. The other laughed low, the sound cruel.
Aria froze.
The taller one stepped forward, and even in the darkness, she felt his presence before she saw his face. Broad shoulders. A tailored black suit. A gaze like knives. He wasn't just dangerous,he was the kind of man danger answered to.
Damien Moretti.
She'd heard the name whispered around town. The Devil of New York. The one who ruled the underworld with a hand soaked in blood.
And now his eyes were on her.
"What do we have here?" His voice was smooth, steady, but it made her heart slam against her ribs.
She tried to melt into the shadows, but another figure stepped forward. Luca Romano. His smirk was wicked, his dark eyes mocking as they scanned her.
"A little rabbit in the wrong cage," Luca drawled. "Want me to drag her out, boss?"
Aria's pulse raced. She forced herself to stand, chin high, though her knees wanted to buckle. "I…..I was just leaving."
Damien didn't move. He studied her the way a predator studies prey, silent and calculating. Then, without warning, he closed the distance between them.
His hand grabbed her wrist, pinning it to the wall. He leaned in, his scent filling her lungs, dark spice, smoke, it's something dangerous.
"You don't belong here," he murmured. His lips brushed the shell of her ear, not a kiss, but close enough to send shivers racing down her spine. "But fate has a cruel sense of humor."
"I'm not….." Her protest cut off when his other hand lifted her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his.
Those eyes. Cold steel, rimmed with fire.
"You're shaking," he observed. His thumb skimmed her lower lip, a touch that burned. "Fear… or something else?"
She gasped, jerking her head aside. "Let me go."
Luca chuckled behind them. "She's feisty. Careful, boss, she might bite."
Damien ignored him. His lips hovered inches from hers. The world narrowed until all she could hear was her pulse and his steady breath.
Then he kissed her.
Not soft. Not sweet. A claim, brutal and demanding. His mouth crashed against hers, pulling a gasp from her throat. She pushed at his chest, nails digging, but his grip only tightened. The kiss deepened, rough and unforgiving, until she felt her resistance falter against the fire he ignited.
When he finally pulled back, her lips were swollen, her breath ragged.
"You'll remember this night," he said softly, almost like a promise. "Because from now on… you're mine."
Her stomach twisted. She tried to step back, but he still caged her in, his shadow swallowing hers.
"I don't even know you," she whispered, voice breaking.
"Then learn," he replied. His gaze was sharp, final, like a sentence passed down by a judge. "Aria Cole, sister of Ethan Cole. Your brother owes me. And debts…" His thumb brushed her lip again, smearing the remnants of his kiss. "…are paid in blood. Or flesh."
Her breath hitched. "Ethan…"
"Don't worry," Luca cut in, his tone cruel amusement. "Your brother's alive. For now."
Damien straightened, finally releasing her wrist. But his smirk said he'd already decided her fate.
"Bring her," he ordered, his voice cold.
Aria's heart pounded as Luca stepped closer, ready to drag her along. She stumbled back, desperate for escape, but Damien's eyes held her fast.
There was no escaping the Devil. Not tonight. Not ever.
"Tomorrow, you'll watch your brother confess just how deep his debt runs. And you'll learn exactly what it will cost you."